Missives of a Baseball Milquetoast

Just a week ago, I wouldn't consider walking out the door without a hoodie to keep me warm, but then the following Sunday, temperatures reached the mid-80s and rose up to the low 90s, which stayed steady through this past Wednesday. I should mention, the purpose of this weather recap is really only to provide an excuse as to why I haven't been to a Yankees game yet this season! Considering the past few posts went from Yankees to Mets, you would think the Subway Series theme would be wrapped up, but today is National Maritime Day, and the most nautical cap I own just happens to be one worn by the Columbus Clippers, who were the Triple-A affiliates for the Yankees from 1979 through 2006. The last time I wrote about this cap logo was almost exactly 11 years ago although this week's hat is the one the Clippers wore in 2001 to commemorate their 25th season in Columbus.  If the Clippers celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2001, this year would be their 50th season; however, as ...

Last week's Fresh Fitted Friday highlighted the New York Yankees and today's post shifts the focus to the New York Mets as the two teams are set to face off for the first time in 2026, with tonight's meeting being the first of a three-game series in Queens. The Mets season has gotten off to a rocky start, but cheerier times loom as they are fresh off their first sweep of the year, with that triumph over the equally struggling Detroit Tigers bringing their record to 18-25. I would not expect the Mets to sweep the Yankees, but even a series win would do a lot to boost morale for a team looking for bright spots, so maybe Mr. Met can help! I might be a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan, but as far as mascots go, I rate Mr. Met right alongside Lou Seal without must hesitation.  The 25th Anniversary embroidery is a bit messy here, so I opted to show it alongside the main cap logo. Pairing a white sweatband with a warm-weather cap material like rip stop is a bold choice, but on th...

My MLB game count for 2026 thus far includes three Mets games at CitiField and zero visits to Yankee Stadium, which might be the longest I have gone into a season without seeing a game in the Bronx. To be fair, I had very little desire to see the Yankees play the Marlins or Athletics for their first homestand, and I was in Paris during the second one when the Angels and Royals were in town. Tickets can get pricey for weekend series against popular teams, especially when the Yankees are playing well, which has been the case through this point. So, their recent series against the Orioles was not an option because of a combination of those factors as well as me simply being too tired to make it happen. There is not much of a point of listing out all these excuses other than reinforcing my desire to catch a Yankees game during their homestand later this month. My options will be either the Blue Jays or the Rays. To commemorate this big decision, this week's Fresh Fitted Friday selecti...

We are going port-to-port for this week's Fresh Fitted Friday as we set sail from the Portland Beavers to the cap worn by the Stockton Ports for their "Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond" games. The logo on this cap also just happens to be the perfect way to honor International Workers’ Day, which is celebrated around the world today and every year on May 1. The stevedore grasping this huge asparagus spear is a reimagining of "5 O'Clock Dock" identity designed by Brandiose for the Ports ahead of the 2013 season . I love the original but the menacing look on this version as he holds the asparagus like a bat is top-notch. So many sweatband tags!  I had been eyeing this cap ever since the "Defenders of the Diamond" logos were first unveiled ahead of the 2022 season, and I was especially happy to finally pick up this cap when it went on sale during the holidays last December. The MILB batterman logo's stars’ alignment confirms this cap was produced...

Every few years I find myself sifting through my ever-growing inventory of ballcaps to execute trades with fellow enthusiasts. This task keeps me organized but I also enjoy getting lost in the memories of when certain hats made their way to me. Most tend to be purchased individually on resale sites but I find larger scale hauls to be more memorable. One such example is the run of retro logos from the 1980s and 1990s that Ebbets Field Flannels and Lids collaborated to release in 2017 because of the deep nostalgia I feel when looking upon those designs. It has never been easy to track down vintage versions of many of those caps so I was rather disappointed that partnership only lasted for one short campaign. I am happy however to report on recent haul of custom creations via Krownz & Kickz  which has alleviated that pain. I scored a half dozen incredibly unique logos which were embroidered on blank vintage New Era caps from the 1980s so a big shout-out is due to  @yellowsub...

This week's entry is a bit shorter than normal due to hosting and travel commitments on both ends of this week's post. The good news is that in the past week alone, I have experienced joy spending quality time at my first ballgame of the season with visiting friends. And I have embarked on my own voyage, which has now brought me to Paris, France. Today happens to be International Bat Appreciation Day, and while it is true this is not exactly the spookiest time of the year, I'm looking forward to spending tomorrow in the Catacombs in Paris. which you can learn a bit more about by visiting this link . Of course, it only makes sense for me to wear my Louisville Bats cap as it's the perfect partner for such an adventure on this holiday! Without knowing that this is a Louisville Bats cap, it might be hard to know at first glance that this logo depicts a flying bat, so this one is more for the obsessed collectors out there. I hope to someday get a Bats cap that evokes more of...